Display device



E. WAGNER DISPLAY DEVICE Filed July 12, 1939 IN VENTOR.

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ATTORNEYS.

Patented Jan. 20, 1942 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DISPLAY DEVICE- ErwinWagner, Chicago, 111., assignor to Wagner Sign Service, Incorporated,Chicago, 111., a corporation of Illinois 8 Claims.

The present invention relates to display devices, for example, of thetype shown in my Patent No. 2,048,040, issued July 21, 1936, whereinopaque characters or letters are positioned in front of an illuminateddisplay panel, and is particularly concerned with improved means formounting the glass panel jointly with lettercarrying devices in a novelmanner designed to simplify production as well as installation of the Isign, and to render its appearance more pleasing and its use andoperation more secure and more eflicient.

In previously known sign structures of this general type, the displaypanel is usually disposed either with or without letter-carrying means,within a channel defining a marginal opening in a suitable boxcontaining the illuminating lamps. Assuming the most commonly usedrectangular or square type of display opening, or rather to say, displaysurface, which such a sign presents to view, the lower marginal channelholding the display panel and the carrier means is open to the outsideand admits into the interior of the sign rainwater, dust and dirt fromthe atmosphere, which is a serious handicap. Aside from the trouble thatmay be caused in the interior of the structure by rainwater seepingthereinto and dust and grit accumulating therein, damage may be causedand repair or replacement prevented, or greatly impaired in cold weatherby the freezing of the water within the lower channel or on the loweredge of the panel and the letter-carrying means.

The foregoing outline merely touches the prominent shortcomings ofprevious structures, but does not exhaust the list of drawbacks that maybe cited, for example, the necessity of providing mounting channelseither in the sign box or in the display frame, or in both;complications that result in the maintenance and installation of such asign; or difficulties in adapting the panel and carrier structure toexisting signs.

One object of the new structure is to overcome the above noted drawbacksby the provision of a carrier device for the display panel and theletters or characters, which is equipped with means for engaging theoutside face of the sign while locating the panel Within the displayopening and its outside face substantially in line with the plane of theinside of this opening,

Rainwater cannot enter the interior of the sign at the top of the panel;it washes down the display panel and drains off without entering theinterior of the sign at the bottom. While the interior of th sign is nothermetically sealed against the ingress of dust, the new structure alsoconstitutes an improvement in this respect, because the accumulation ofdust and grit within the sign is greatly cut down and for all practicalpurposes eliminated to a point where it cannot cause damage or beannoyingly noticed. This in turn tends to reduce maintenance costsbecause it is cheaper to maintain the new sign in the required cleancondition than would otherwise be the case.

Another object of the invention is realized by the provision of meansfor later-ally locking adjacent panel sections together to form aunitary frontal assemblage in a common plane.

Still another object resides in the provision of means for transverselylocking the panel or display sections of the sign with respect to thedisplay box itself so as to keep the panels in place and in alignmentWithin the display opening as a unitary assembly.

These and other objects not yet specifically noted will be brought outin detail in the following description referring to the accompanyingdrawing, wherein- Fig. 1 is a partial plan view of one embodiment of thenew sign, with some parts in section or broken away so as to indicatedetails;

Fig. 2 represents, on a somewhat enlarged scale, a section along line2-2 of Fig 1; and

Figs. 3 and 4 are diagrammatic perspective views of two panel sectionsshown in Fig. 1.

Some of the details in the drawing, wherein like parts are designated bylike reference numerals, are shown on a somewhat distorted scale withrespect to other parts, so as to support understanding of the invention,which could not be accomplished by a true-to-scale representation.

Referring now to the drawing, numeral II designates generally a suitablebox made, for example, of sheet metal having a back wall I2, a top I3, apartition I4, and a peripheral ledge comprising the portions I5, I6 andI! which define a marginal frontal opening in the upper section of thebox. This opening is provided for receiving a display panel or, as thecase may be, a number of panels forming a display surface against whichthe characters or letters are put on display. In the drawings is assumeda composite display box having a series of superimposed displayopenings, a second display opening being shown at I8, which is definedby a circumferential or peripheral edge comprising the portions I9 and20 which correspond to the portions I5 and I6 in the case of theuppermost display opening. Such a box may be equipped with only onesuitable display opening or with a number of display openings, and eachopening may receive one or more display panels of the type disclosedherein. The display openings are defined by simple ledges such as I5 andI1, taking the place of marginal channels of previous structures.However, the new structure is also suitable for use with sign boxeshaving openings defined in whole or in part by a marginal channel.

Within the box or any section thereof, may

be provided suitable illuminating means, for example, lamps, such as 2|and 22, which are secured in sockets mounted on a bracket such I Thepanel assemblage shown in Fig. 1 comthen be explained with reference toFigs. 1 and 2.

Referring to Fig. 3, the glass panel 25 of this section is provided witha channehshaped carrier comprising the uprights and 3! and the bottomsection 32. The uprights 3D and 31 grip the glass panel on oppositeedges, as shown. The bottom strip 32 may extend, if desired, across theentire width of the panel as indicated in Fig. 3. Cross-bars 33"4 and3536, each having an angular leg at each end, are provided for receivingthe characters or letters which may be of the type shown in mypreviously mentioned patent, No. 2,048,040. These cross-bars areattached to the uprights by welding. Also attached, preferably bywelding to the uprights 3D and 3| near the top thereof, are angular barsor extensions indicated at 3'! and 38. These bars may be provided with across strip 39. At the bottom of the carrier and, for example, welded tothe channel strip 32, is an angular skirt or apron 4111, and welded tothe back of the channel strip 32 may be legs 41 and 42. The back side ofthe apron 49 is thus spaced from the legs 4! and 42 just like theback'of the angular bars 31 and 118 are spaced from the face of theuprights 30 and 3!. The apron or skirt is in the plane of theoutwardly-extending portions of the bars 37 and 38. The spacesintervening between the forward portions of the bars 31 and 3B and theuprights 30 and 3|, andbetween the apron 4i] and the logs 4| and 42,respectively, are provided for receiving the ledges l5 and I! of thesign box when the panel assemblage is put in position. Another angularapron 43 is provided, for example, by welding, on the side of theupright 3|.

. This panel section just described with reference to Fig. 3, representsa unit which is put in place in the sign as follows: It must be assumedfirst that the corresponding space for panel section 25 in Fig. 1 isvacant. This end section of the display panel is conveniently lifted bytaking hold of any of the cross-bars 3336, inserting the ledge l5 of thebox in the intervening space between the forwardly bent portions of thebracket bars 3138, thereby lifting the lower edge of the apron 40 wellabove the upper edge of the ledge ll, then pushing the section backclearing the edge of ledge l1, and dropping this section so that itcomes to rest on the ledge I! with the apron 4i] outside of the face ofthe sign, that is, outside of the face of the ledge H. The panel sectionis then pushed to the left, and the apron 43 will slip in back of theledge face It of the sign, as shown in Fig. l. The section. 25 is nowproperly positioned. Certain means for securing it in its properposition will be presently described.

The second panel section 26 may be made according to the embodimentshown in Fig. 4. The glass panel of this section is again provided witha channel-shaped carrier just like the one described with respect toFig. 3, comprising uprights 45--45 and the bottom channel portion 41.Again, as in the previous case, this bottom portion'may go straightthrough, as indicated in Fig. 4, or the uprights may merely be providedwith small leg portions just long enough to engage and to hold thebottom edge of the glass panel. Cross-bars 48-49 and 5i!5l are againattached to the uprights 45'46 by welding their legs thereto. The lowerchannel section 41 is provided, just like the corresponding channelsection 3201f Fig. 3, with an angular strip constituting an apron 52which takes the place and function of the apron 40 shown in Fig. 3. Atthe upper end of the uprights 4546 are also provided angular extensionsor brackets 53 and 54, respectively, which may be tied together, ifdesired, by a decorative cover strip 55, this strip corresponding to thecross strip or border strip 35 shown in Fig. 3. So far this panelsection corresponds to the one shown in Fig. 3.

As will be seen, on each of these panel sections there are means forengagement with the outside face of the display box, that is, with theoutside faces of the corresponding marginal or circumferential ledges oredges of the box which define the display opening. In the assemblageFig. 3, these means are the brackets 31, 38 (connected by border strip39) on top of the uprights 30, 3] and the apron 40 at the bottomthereof, and in the assemblage Fig. 4 similar brackets 53, 54 (connectedby the border strip 55) on top of the uprights 45, 46 and the apron 52at the bottom thereof. The border strips 39 and 55 are thus mounted onspaced-apart brackets and are disposed in parallel with but spaced fromthe outer face of the ledge-like frame strip of the sign casing.Moisture may drain downwardly through the space between the outer faceof ledge l5 and the border strip such as 39 and 55. The aprons such as42 (Fig. 3) and 52 (Fig. 4) direct the moisture downwardly and outwardlyaway from the interior of the sign.

.The difference between an intermediate panel section (Fig. 4) and anend section (Fig. 3) appears in the provision of channel uprights, suchas 60 and 6!, which are welded to the uprights 45 and 46, it beingassumed in this case that the sign has only three sections 25, 25, 2?,the section 21 being again of the structure shown in Fig. 3, with thedifference that the apron 43 is on the right side instead of the left.In case there are a number of intermediate panel sections, each sectionis equipped with only one channel member 60 or 6! either on the upright45 or on the upright 46; or, as an alternative, every alternate sectionmay be of the structure shown-in Fig. 4 and other intermediate sectionssubstantially like the one shown in Fig. 3 but without the strip 43. Thelower ends of the channel uprights, such as 60 and 61, extend beyond andbelow the bottom edge of the channel member 4?, providing an interveningspace between the back of the apron 52 and the forward edge of thechannel members 60 and (H for accommodating the ledge I! when thesection is put in place on the sign.

The panel section 26 is mounted substantially in the same manner asdescribed with respect to the first panel section 25; that is, thecorresponding place in the sign box being vacant, the panel section isconveniently lifted by means of the cross-bars, and the ledge I isinserted in the intermediate space between the bars 53-54 and the bottomof the face of the uprights 45-46. This operation lifts the assemblagewell above the upper edge of the ledge IT, as previously described, andthe section is then moved back and dropped into place, and assumes theposition shown in Fig. 2. The cross-bars 33-36 of the first panelsection are then in horizontal alignment with the cross-bars 48-5| ofthe panel section 26, forming substantially continuous lines forsupporting the notched letters or characters in any convenient ordesired juxtaposition so as to spell out a desired message. It isunderstood, of course, that cross-bars of a different type may be used,if desired, for example, channel-shaped bars or rods for supportingcharacters provided with lugs or extensions at the top and bottomthereof.

The right hand edge of the upright 3| of the section 25 shown in Fig. 3,when assembled in place as above described, directly engages the lefthand edge of the upright 45 of the section 26 shown in Fig. 4, and theupright channel member 60 attached to the upright 45 and extendinglaterally beyond the same furnishes a back rest for the back of theupright 3| of the first section 25. The other end section 21 shown inFig. 1, which is of the same structure as the one shown in Fig. 3, butwith the apron 43 on the right side, may then be put in place in thesame manner and the left edge of the upright 65 of this end section 21then contacts the right edge of the upright 46 of the intermediatesection 26, while the upright 6| attached to the upright 46 furnishesagain a back rest for the back of the upright 55 of the right hand endsection 21. Should there be a plurality of intermediate sections such as26, as previously mentioned, every alternate intermediate section may beprovided with an upright such as 60 or Bl; or each such section may beprovided with only one such channel upright.

Welded to some of the legs of the cross-bars, such as to the legs 66 and61 of the cross-bars 33 and 35 (Fig. 3), are hook-like brackets, such as68 and 69. These brackets engage the corresponding adjacent cross-bars,or, rather, the legs thereof, such as the legs 10 and H of the adjacentpanel section 26 (Fig. 4) when these panel sections are put in place asshown in Fig. 1. Similar bracket hooksv are provided on the right sideof the cross-bars 48 and 50 of the assemblage shown in Fig. 4, asindicated at 12 and I3, for engagement with adjacent cross-bar legs ofthe next adjacent section 21.

In order to obtain additional and transverse secure positioning of thevarious panel sections with respect to the display box, I have providedadjustable tie rods, such as 15 and 16 (Fig. 2), consisting of simplebars, such as 11-18, angularly bent at the ends to form hooks l9 and 80for engagement with securing means provided on the wall of the box 12,which may be a simple bracket 8| equipped with a hole for receiving thehook l9 and other securing means on the back of the channel strips suchas 60, consisting of a simple bar 6| welded across the channel in backthereof and providing another aperture for receiving the hook 80. Thetwo bars TI and 18 are held together by means of a screw clamp bracket82, and thus the distance between the two hook portions 19 and 80 may beadjusted and positioned, as desired, so as toexert a slight pull on thecorresponding sections of the panels to hold them in place. Thefastening means 16 corresponds exactly to the one just described, but,of course, engaging and holding in place another panel section. In thiscase one of the hook bars engages a hole in the bracket 23 which alsoholds the lamp sockets. These tie rods or tie bars are distributed atvarious places within the display box so as to secure the assembledpanel sections in a well distributed manner. The drawing Fig. 2 .showssome spacing between the bars 53 and ledge I5 and between the apron 52and the ledge 11. This condition occurs during the process of mounting.These portions of the panel engage-the face of the sign, that is, theface of the ledges when the sign is finally fastened in its place. Itis, of course, not absolutely necessary to pull the panel section backby means of the tie rods !5-'l6, but to use these rods for the purposeof holding the panels in upright position while resting them on thecorresponding ledge of the box, for example, the ledge IT. The termengage or its equivalent, as applied to the relation of parts in amounted and assembled sign, with respect to the face of the sign box andcertain parts of the panel section, is not used herein in the sense ofnecessarily touching or physically contacting, but in the sense ofdefining a more or less close face-to-face relationship. 1 Attention hasalready been called to the fact that the new structure may also be usedin conjunction with sign boxes having an opening or openings defined inwhole or in part by marginal ledge members forming channels instead ofthe simple single ledges shown in the drawing. This is particularly trueso far as the upper edge of the openings is concerned. If a channel ispresent instead of the ledge strip 1 5, the carrier structure may bemade without the members 3l38 and 53-54, respectively, and the ends ofthe vertical carrier members may be directly inserted into the channelof the box.

As previously remarked, the various details of the sign are shown on asomewhat distorted scale. The upright bars of the panel sections, forexample, as well as the cross-bars for supporting the letters orcharacters, are shown on a much larger scale with respect to the glasspanels and other portions of the sign than is actually the case. Thesebars and channels are quite small and are not as prominent in the realembodiment of a sign as one would be led to believe from examining Fig.1 and other figures of the drawing. However, if they were represented ona true scale, it would be impossible to show the details evenapproximately.

The foregoing description and the drawing are intended to furnish anexample of an embodiment so as to teach others how the invention may becarried out in practice; they are not intended to define the limits andpossibilities of the invention. It is understood that modificaw tionsare possible and that they can be carried out within the scope andlimits of the appended claims wherein I have defined what is believed tobe new and what is desired to have protected by Letters Patent of theUnited States.

What I claim as my invention is:

1. A display sign comprising a box, a substantially rectangular displayopening on the side of said box defined by a circumferentially disposedmarginal strip, a glass panel for closing said display opening, acarrier frame for holding and mounting said panel within said displayopening with the outer display surface thereof disposed in a planeextending in back of said strip, said carrier frame comprising uprightchannel members engaging two opposite edges and a bottom channel memberengaging the bottom edge of said panel, an angular bracket-like memberattached to each said upright channel member at the top thereof forengagement with the outside face of the top part of said strip, and anangular member attached to and extending along said bottom channelmember for engagement with the outside face of the bottom part of saidstrip and forming an apron overlapping said strip substantially for theentire width of said panel, when said panel is positioned to close saiddisplay opening, whereby moisture draining through the space betweensaid bracket-like members at the top of said panel is directed to theoutside over said apron member at the bottom thereof.

2. A display sign comprising a box, a substantially rectangular displayopening at the side of said box defined by a circumferentially extendingmarginal strip, a glass panel for closing said display opening, acarrier frame for holding and mounting said panel within said displayopening with the outer display surface thereof disposed in a planeextending in back of said strip, said carrier frame comprising uprightchannel members engaging two opposite edges and a bottom channel memberengaging the bottom edge of said panel, an angular bracket-like memberattached to each of said upright channel members at the top thereof forengagement with the outside face of the top part of said strip, anangular member attached to and extending along said bottom channelmember for engagement with the outside face of the bottom part of saidstrip and forming an apron overlapping said strip substantially for theentire width of the said panel when said panel is positioned to closesaid display opening, and means in said box for securing the engagementof said angular members on said carrier frame with the face of saidmarginal strip.

3. In a display sign, a display panel, a carrier therefor whichcomprises channel means forming a generally U-shaped structure engagingsaid panel at three edges but leaving the upper edge thereof free,angular bracket-like members attached to the base and to the ends of thelegs; of said U-shaped structure and'projecting out of the frontal planethereof to form mounting means therewith which extend substantially inparallel thereto, channel members attached to the legs of said U-shapedstructure and extending rearwardly thereof with their lower endsprojecting below the base of said structure to form companion mountingmeans at the base of the legs of said structure in back of the mountingmeans projecting from the frontal plane thereof, and cross membersconnecting the legs of said U-shaped structure for receiving charactermeans for display against the panel.

4. In a display sign, a box containing illuminating means, a displayopening in said box, a

plurality of display panels for said opening, each of said panels havinga carrier frame comprising channel means engaging opposite upright edgesand the bottom edge of said panel, cross members connecting said channelmeans to form substantially continuous horizontal lines with the crossmembers of adjacent panels for supporting removable characters in frontof said panels, means at the side of each carrier frame for laterallyengaging and locking thereto the frame of the adjacent panel, and meanscarried by carrier frames of some of said panels for transverselyholding said panels in position in said display opening, said last namedmeans comprising strips attached to and in back of said channel meansengaging the upright edges of the corresponding panel, and adjustabletie rods within said box for engaging said strips.

5. In a display sign, a box containing illuminating means, a displayopening in said box, a plurality of display panels for said opening,each of said panels having a carrier frame comprising channel meansengaging the edge of the panel but leaving the top edge thereof free,cross members connecting opposite upright legs of said channel means infront of the panel to form continuous horizontal lines with like crossmembers of adjacent panels for supporting characters for display againstthe panels, an angular bottom member and a plurality of angular topmembers protruding forwardly out of the plane of said channel means forengagement with the face of the box forming said display opening whensaid panels are positioned in place, means on each carrier frame forlaterally engaging and holding in place the carrier frame of theadjacent panel, and means in said box for transversely holding some ofthe carrier frames of some of said panels so as to secure the engagementof said angular members with the face of the box which defines thedisplay opening.

6. In an outdoor sign comprising a box having a substantially verticallydisposed side wall with a substantially rectangularly shaped openingbordered by marginal ledge-like strips, a display panel, a carrier framefor holding said panel at the edges thereof and for mounting it in saidbox to close said display opening, a plurality of bracket-like memberssecured on said carrier frame in spaced relation to each othersubstantially at the top thereof for engagement with the outer face ofthe ledge-like strip bordering the top of said opening, a border stripsupported by said bracket-like members, said border strip extending inparallel with but spaced from the outer face of said ledge-like strip topermit moisture to drain downwardly through the space between saidborder strip and the outer face of said ledge-like strip when said panelis mounted in said opening, and an angular member on said carrier frameat the bottom thereof for engagement with the outer face of theledge-like strip bordering the bottom of said opening, said angularmember extending substantially over the entire width of said panel andforming an apron at the bottom thereof which overhangs the bottom stripof said opening so as to direct moisture downwardly and outwardly awayfrom the panel when the panel is mounted in said opening.

'7. The structure defined in claim 6, wherein said display panel isdisposed in said opening with its outer display surface thereofextending in arplane'lying in the rear of the ledge-like stripsbordering said opening.

8. The structure defined in claim 6, together with means in said box forholding said panel in place after mounting it in said opening.

ERWIN WAGNER.

